Means fob clarifying liquids



.L scr-IAAF Sept. 19, l1944.

MEANS FOR CLARIFYING LIQUIDS FiledA Feb. l1, 1941 c/hn Schaaf.

INVENTOR ATro NEY Sept, 19, 1944. J. scHAAF MEANS FOR QLARIFYING LIQUIDS I Filed Feb. ll', 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 :702m- Schaaf INVENTOR Sept.` 19, 1944.` J. scHAAF 2,358,735

Y MEANS FOR 'CLARIFYING LIQUIDS n v Filed Feb. 11, 1941 s sheets-sheet 5 t s702121 Schaaf INVENToR Patented Sept. `1.9, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEANS Foa cLAmFYlNG LIQUms John'sehaar,u1ra1o, N. Y. 'application February 11, 1941, serial No. 'mama 15 Claims.

My invention relates to a method and means `for clarifying liquids and more particularly to ,purifying sewage by collecting and'comminuting the foreign matter in a shredder through which onepart of. said sewage passes and chemically treating and aerating the balance of the sewage.

which is filtered to remove thel sewage solids.

-One object of my invention is to provide a method and means to collectland dispose ofthe foreign material floating in a liquid to be clarified.

Another object is to provide a method and means to filter and clarify the portion of a sewage stream which passes througha screen and to remove the sewage solids which collect on the screen so they may be carried away by the remaining stream portion for further disposal.

Another object is to provide a method and means to lter a liquid by passing through a screen and filtering material; to thenchemically .treat and aerate the liquid passing through said vdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings which represent the preferred embodiment of my invention as applied to a rotating screen:

Figure 1 is anI elevation mostly in'section on line I.-I of Fig. 2, of a funnel shaped rotatable screen mounted in a chamber with operating means and a rotatable cleaning brush; means to hold filtering materials about said screen; a shredder to comminute foreign matter floating in the liquid and means to dispose of the solids and liquids.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the'screen with a portion of the shredder and the screen housing in section ony line 2-2, and at pump shaft on line 2'-2', of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation of a portion of the screen as in Fig. 1, showing the different ltering material holders and their feeding hoppers: the tube means for aerating,

. the funnel screen to control the material holders the screen 2.

vsurrounding said screen.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged-plan of the gate, showin a section of the housing on line 64-6 of Fig. 3, and a different arrangement of openings therethrough from that of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation on line 1-1 of Fig. 8, of a funnel screen, as in Fig. 1, but with a single screen and without the filtering material holders.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the screen with a portion of the shredder and the screen housing in lsection on linel 8 8; in section at pump shaft on line 8 -'8'; and in side elevation on 'line 8"-8 of Fig. "1.

In the figures, I is a chamber in which a funnel shaped screen 2, mounted on a bearing cage 3, is slowly rotated. The cage 3 is in the form of a ring having alternately mounted vertical rollers 4 to support, and horizontal rollers 5- to guide. 6 is a ring fastened around the outside of the top of the screen 2 and forms a vertical and a horizontal surface for engaging with the vertical rollers 4 and the horizontal rollers 5 of the cage 3. Built into the top wall of the chamber I is a support ring 1 with aA Z section and providing a horizontal and a vertical surface opposite the horizontal and vertical surface of the ring 6 and so provide tracks between which the cage 3 with the rollers 4 and 5 form a two-way bearing. The ring I thus provides a support and a Aguide on which the screen 2 e rotates by means of the cage 3 as a roller bearing.

Fastened to (as in Fig. 3) or asa part of ring 6 (as in Fig. 1) is a ring gear 8 by which the screen 2 is rotated through the medium of idler i gear 9 (Fig. 1) pinion I0 and shaft II from the motor I2 through the reduction and speed change gear box I3. Driven from 'the shaft II by means of the bevel gears I4 and I5 is a brush I1. In the construction shown and by reason of the idler gear 9, the brush Il rotates in a direction opposite to that of the screen 2. The inside surface of the screen 2 is thus swept by brush I1.

The screen referred to generally as 2 is of built up construction from several tunnels, telescoped but spaced apart, and each terminating. at the Ibottom with a more or less vertical spout. The perforated or` screen portion of .the screen 2 on vchambers 24, 25, 25 and 21.

the outside is approximately between the ring 5 and the spout and the screen portion on the inside is that swept by the brushk I1. 'I'he inside funnel I9 comprises a screen with suitable mesh for collecting sewage solids and having a spout at the bottom extending downward to form a passage I8 for discharging chunks of foreign matter into a shredder.

Outside of funnel I9 are located funnel screens 29, 2-I, 22 and 23, spaced apart to form annular Chamber 24 holds, preferably, a coarse ltering material 25 (Fig. 3) as crushed coal or other granulated material. Chamber 25 forms an annular space into which a perforated tube 29 projects. Chamber 25 is adapted to hold an activated carbon 39, or similar material for further clarification and the removing of color and odor. Chamber 21 is adapted to hold a fine filtering material 3l, as coal, for final ltration and to help retain any activated carbon escaping from chamber 25.

In the detail drawing of Fig. 3 it will be noted that the chambers 24, 25 and 21, which hold filtering material, are preferablymade narrowest in width at the top and gradually increase in width to the bottom ofthe spouts to insure that the iltering materials will not clog but run freely to the bottom and also. freely discharge from the bottom when the gate,A to be described later, is opened.

The tube 29 has suitable holes 32, as shown in Fig. 3, for aerating or chemically treatingthe liquid, as by chlorine. Tube y29 can also supply water to flush the chambers and wash the solids from the filtering materials, intermediate of the times for supplying fresh materials. A threeway valve 33 with pipes 34, 3 5 and 35 furnish means to supply air, chemicals or water as desired. Two or more tubes 29 can be used where it is preferable to have a separate tube for aerating, washing or chemical treatment in which case the pipes 34, 35 and 35 will each communicate with a-separate tube 29 and it will be understood that where more than one operation of aerating, washing or chemical treatment is to be performed at the same time, a separate chamber 25 may be furnished for such treatment, aerating or washing. The washing chamber 25 is preferably next after chamber 24 to more readily flush its contents of solids.

Hoppers 31, 39 and 39 supply fresh filtering materials to the chambers 24, 25 and 21 respectively. Fastened on to the ring support 1 is an apron 49 extending 'over the top of screen 2 to cover the 'tops of the chambers 24, 25, 25 vand 21 and project down into the top of inner funnel I9. The lower end of each hopper 31, 39 and 39 and the tube 29 projects through the apron 49 and is supported thereby.

Narrow Z-shaped angle braces 4I support and space apart the funnels as shown in Fig. 3. These Z-shaped braces are located near the top and between funnels I9 and 29; 2I` and 22; and 22 and 23. On account of the tube 29, which is stationary while the funnels rotate, the braces between funnels 29 and 2| are located below the end of tube 29. The funnels are also supported and spaced apart by Z bracesl in their spouts as shown.

The chambers 24, 25, 25 and 21 between the funnels extend to a disk gate 42 which is operable by a lever 43 having a limited horizontal movement in a slot 44 in the housing 45. 45 is ahousing for the spout portion of the screen 2 with its gate 42 and a shredder located below the spout. In the housing 45 is a partition 4t on which 'rests the gate 42, the gate and partition having a central opening as a continuation of the passage I4 of the spout.

The construction and operation of the gate 42 is shown in Figs. 5 and 5. Ports extend through the gate 42 to selectively register with similar ports extending through the partition 45 to form discharge openings from the chambers 24, 25, 25 and 21 to empty said chambers. In Fig. 6, 41, 49. 49 and 59 are ports through the gate 42 and located at the bottom of chambers 24, 25,

25 and 21 respectively. The dotted ports 41', 45',

49' and 59' are the ports in the partition 45 which are adapted to be uncovered by ports 41, 49, 49 and 59 respectively. As shown in Fig. 6 all ports are closed and by moving lever 43 to position 43', (the position of the gate 42 in Fig. 3) ports 41 and 45 will register with and open ports 41' and 45. By moving lever 43 to 43", ports 49 and 59 will register with and open ports 49' and 59'.

In Fig. 5, ports 41, 49 and 59 are shown adapted to separately register with the ports 41', 49' and 59 when the lever 43 is moved to the position 43a, 49h or 49e to open one port at a time. In the Fig. 5 construction no port in the gate 42 is shown for the chamber 25. This construction is optional as chamber 25 has no filtering material and its liquid can be discharged through its adjacent chambers 24 or 25.

5I is a handle connected to the-lever 49 by means of a link 52 for operating the disk gate 42. 53 is a wear ring fastened around the outside of the spout of funnel 23 to cooperate with the packing 54 in the housing 45.

The shredder 55 consists-of a cylindrical cutter 55 having cutting knives across its surface, and a slotted plate 51 pivoted at 55 for directing and feeding material to knives of cutter 55 for com- 4" minuting the material which drops through passage I9. An adjustable stop screw 59 above pivot 54 regulates the positionfof plate 51 in relation to cutter 55. A spring operated plunger 59 resiliently holds the plate 51 against stop 59 and allows for movement of plate 51 away 4from the cutter 55 to prevent jamming and possible injury to cutter 55 or plate 51 in operation. Cutter 55 is mounted on shaft 5I and driven by means of abelt 52 from the motor 53.

In the base of housing 45 is a discharge pipe 54 directed toward the eiiluent pipe 55 leading from chamber I. Valve 55 in pipe54 is controlled by a wheel 51 (Fig. 2) outside of chamber I. Another discharge pipe 59 from the housing 45 has a pump 99 for forcing the stream of liquid and comminuted material from the shredder 55 for disposal beyond the valve 19. The pump 59 is operated by its shaft 59' and from motor 53 by a belt 1I to the cutter shaft 5I.

Above the funnel screen 2 is a chamber 12 with a manhole cover 13 and a pipe 14 for the influent. The pipe 14 can be continued into the chamber 12 to discharge sewage directly into funnel I9 and obviate sewage flowing over apron 49. The influent is preferably regulated to fill funnel I9 only to the height swept by the brush The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

Coarse itering material is fed into chamber 24 from hopper 31; activated material, as carbon, is fed into chamber 25 from hopper 39: and a. fine filtering material is fed into chamber 21 from hopper 39 while the gate 42 is closed to hold said materials. The influent then enters the chamber 12 through the pipe 14 and nils the funnel chlorine or similar chemical is thus clarified and passing into the chamber I flows therefrom through the pipe 65. The liquid from pipe 65 is usually suiiiciently clarined to be emptied into a stream, but further clarification may be accomplished by the use of a settling tank, sludge digester 'or vacuum filter. The sewage solids which cling `to and are left on the inside of the funnel I9 by being filtered out of the liquid passing therethrougnare dislodged by the brush I1 and escapewith the liquid passing through the shredder 55.

The cutter 55 of the shredder 55 is operated by motor 63 drivingshaft 6I by means of belt 62 and the chunks of foreign material which flows with the liquid through passage. I8, is comminuted by passing between the plate 51 and the cutter 56 which reduces said material to a nneness suitable for further disposal.

Under ordinary conditions the valve 66 will be closed -while valve is open and the -comminuted material and liquid will be sucked from the shredder 55 through pipe 68 by the pump 69, which is driven by motor 63 throughy its pump shaft 69' and belt 1I, and forced through valve to a centrifuge or other vmeans of dehydrating and disposal.

This method and means of collecting and disposing of foreign matter as dead animals and various other foreign materials passing along with sewage, does away with the necessity of intercepting and attempting to sh out such foreign matter before it reaches a filtering screen. The liquid which carries the foreign matter to the shredder also carries the sewage solids dislodged from the screen by brush I1 and eliminates the necessity of using a set oi? brushes to sweep such solids from the ordinary iat screen.

Under flood conditions or when desirable.- the pump 69 is not operated and the valve 66 is opened and valve 10 closed. The liquid and comminuted material from the shredder 55 is then passed through pipe 64 to the discharge pipe 65 said wastes often have either an acid or an alkaline content and under such conditions the tube :I is usecr` to furnish chemicals w neutrauze the liquid while being filtered through the screenr2.

In water purication the valve 66 is closed and where no foreign materials are present-or allowed to enter the screen 2, the shredder 55 is not operated and the whole water streammay be made to pass through said screen 2by closing the valve 13. The water is then purified by being filtered through the screen I3, filtering material 26, screen 20, chemically treated and aerated in the same or separate chambers 25, ltered through screen 2|, activated carbon 30, screen 22, filter-v ing material 3l and screen 23, and discharged from chamber I through pipe.65. It will be'understood that in a lengthy filtration of this kind any sediment collecting at the bottom of housing is discharged by intermittently opening valve'66 or valve 10, or leaving one of said valves partly open to control the amount of liquid discharged.

. A modified form of screening apparatus of the.

funnel type is shown in Figs. 'I'and 8 where a coarse screening of the fluidY to be filtered is used, or where a single screening without the refinement of screening materials is suilicient, a fine screen may be used. The same parts are designated by the same symbols as in Figs. 1 to 6. In the modified form in Figs. 'I' and 8 the general arrangement of partsy in Figs. 1 to 6 is observed, the difference bei'ngirr the' use of a single funnel screen I9 without filtering materials and with the screen rotated by a. single idler and reducing Sear 15 to rotate the screenfin a direction opposite to that shown in Fig. 1.

Screen I9 in Figs. 7 and 8 is swept by a brush I1, both operated by motor I2.as previously described for Figs. 1 and 2. vThe same shredder 55, discharge pipes 64, 68, valves 66, 1li and-motor 63 and with connections of Figs. 1 and 2 are shown in Figs. 'l and 8.

The operation Aof. the modified form consists of introducing a liquid, as sewage, into the chamber 12 through the pipe 14 to illl the fun' nel screen I9, to desired height, which is slowly rotated by means of its ring' gear 6, idler 9, reducing gear and idler 15, pinion I0 and shaft II driven from gear box I3 with power from motor I2 while bevel gears I4 and I5 rotate brush described for the apparatus in Figs. 1 to 6, i. e.

the foreign matter which cannot be handled by the screen is passed through the shredder, and being comminuted is pumped away for vfurther Y disposal, as by a, centrifuge.

It will he understood that with my multiple screens the first layer' of filtering material as-` sists in removing the solids; that the chlorine oxidizes and disinfects` the liquid; that aerating assists in the oxidation and puriiication and to satisfy the B. 0. D. (biochemical oxygen de,v i mand); that the activated carbon removes chlorine to free a, liquid,y as drinking water, of its taste; 'and that the last layer of filtering mate-.- rial ltersoutanyremaining 4solids and intercepts and retains any particles of activated carbon.

By passing air through filtering medium while sewage is passing through such medium results in accomplishing a wide diffusion oi' the air and it is brought intimately into contact with a maximum amount of thesewage passing through each unit.

Oxygen supplied to sewage eiiiuent by passing t air through it tends to stabilize the liquid by replacing and furnishing the necessary oxygen to satisfy the B. O. D., which is the biochemical oxygen demand of said liquid.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: l. In an apparatus for clarifying a liquid, a filter composed of a plurality of funnel screens spaced apart to form chambers therebetween means to rotate said filter, means to feed a liquid over A,the inner surface of said filter, means luid over the inner surface of said filter, brush meansto sweep solids from said surface, a first chamber, means to hold a ltering material in said first chamber of said filter, a second chamber, and means to feed water into said second chamber of said filter to wash said filtering material.

3. In an apparatus for clarifying a liquid, a filter composed of a' plurality of funnel screens spaced apart to form chambers therebetween means to rotate said filter, means to feed a liquid over the inner surface of said filter, a first chamber, means to hold a filtering material in said first chamber of said lter, a second chamber, means to feed a chemical into said second chamber of said filter, means to feed air into said second chamber of said filter and means to feed water into said second chamber of said filter to flush said chambers and Wash said fil tering material.

4. In an apparatus for clarifying a liquid, a filter composed of a plurality of funnel screens spaced apart to form chambers therebetween means to rotate said filter, means to feed a liquid over the inner surface of said filter, means to hold a filtering material in said filter, means to chemically treat the liquid filtered through said filtering material and means to aerate the liquid filtered through said filtering material.

'5. In an apparatus for clarifying a liquid, a funnel screen, a spout to form a passage at the apex of said screen, means to feed a liquid into said screen, a brush, means to sweep said brush over the inner surface of said screen means to rotate said brush, means to form a passage beyond said spout to carry away the liquid passing through said spout, means to control said passage whereby the liquid normally flowing through said spout may be filtered through said screen and means to carry the filtered liquid from said screen.

6. In an apparatus for clarifying a liquid, a screen composed of a plurality of funnels spaced apartto form annular chambers between said funnels, bearing means to support and guide said screen, means to rotate said screen, means into the inner and outer annular chambers formed by said said funnels, means to feed an assenso activated carbon into one chamber and means to feed chlorine into another chamber intermediate of said inner and outer chambers whereby the liquid filtered through the inner chamber will be treated by said chlorine and whereby the chlorinated liquid will then be filtered through the activated carbon.

7. In an apparatus for clarifying-.a liquid, a screen composed of a plurality of funnels and having a spout to form a passage at the apex of said screen, said funnels spaced apar-t to form annular chambers therebetween, means to rotate said screen, means to feed a liquid into said screen means to carry the filtered liquid from said screen, brush means to sweep the inner surface of said screen, means to rotate said brush, means to feed a coarse filtering material into the inner annular chamber and a fine filtering material into the outer annular chamber, means to feed chlorine into the annular chamber below the coarse filtering material chamber and means to feed an activated carbon above the fine filtering material chamber, whereby a portion of said liquid will carry foreign material through said spout passage and whereby the liquid passing through said screen will be filtered to remove solids, disinfected by chlorine, filtered through activated carbon to remove color, odor and excess chlorine and finally ltered to remove finer solids and activated carbon.

8. In an apparatus for clarifying a liquid, a screen composed of a plurality of funnels and having a spout to form a. passage at the apex of said screen, said funnels spaced apart -to form annular chambers therebetween, said annular chambers being an inner, an outer and two intermediate chambers, said annular chambers increasing in width toward the bottom, means to rotate said screen, means to feed a liquid into said screen means to carry the filtered liquid from said screen, means to sweep the inner surface of said screen, means to feed filtering ma-l terials into the inner and outer chambers formed by said funnels, means to feed an activated carbon into one of said intermediate chambers above said outer chamber, means to feed chlorine into the other intermediate chamber below said inner chamber, means to aerate said chlorine chamber and means to feed water into said chlorine chamber to iiush the several chambers and wash the ltering materials.

9. In an apparatus for clarifying a liquid, a funnel screen means to rotate said screen, means to feed a liquid into said screen means to carry the ltered liquid from said screen, a. spout at the apex of said funnel screen, a brush contact ing with the inner surface of said screen, means to rotate said, brush, a shredder to receii'e a portion of said liquid and the foreign matter in said liquid portion and means to operate said shredder to comminute the foregin matter passing into said shredder.

10. In an apparatus for clarifying a liquid, a funnel screen to filter said liquid, a spout at the apex of said screen, means to feed a liquid into said screen, means to sweep th`e inner surface of said screen, means to rotate said screen,

a shredder to receive the portion of said liquid and the foreign matter :passing through said spout, means to operate said shredder to comminute the foreign matter passing into said shredder, means to convey the comminuted matter and liquid from said shredder.' valve means to control said conveying means and means to feed a ltering'material into one of said chambers formed by said iunnels lter supporting means at the bottom of said filtering ma- 'terial chamber, means to feed a chemical into yanother of said chambers and means to discharge the ltering material from the filtering material chamber.

12. In an apparatus for clarifying a liquid, a screen composed of a plurality of funnels and having a spout to form a passage at the apex of said screen, said funnels spaced apart to-fornl annular chambers therebetween, means to feed a liquid into said screen means to carry the filtered liquid from said screen, means to sweep the inner surface of said screen, means to rotate said screen, means to feed a, filtering material into the inner and outer chambers formed by said funnels, conducting means communicating with said spout and means at said spout to separately discharge said ltering material-fromA said inner and outer chamber whereby the discharged ltering material will be .carried away in the liquid which passes through said spout.. I

13. In an apparatus for clarifying a liquid, a screen composed of a plurality of screened funnels spaced apart to form a chamber therebetween means to rotate said screen, means to feed a. liquid into said screen, means to sweep the inner surface of said screen, means to carry the filtered liquid from said screen, means to feed a filtering material into said chamber between said screen funnels and means to discharge the filtering material from said chamber.

14. In an apparatus for clarifying 'a liquid, a screen composed of a plurality of funnels and having a spout to form a passage at the apex of said screen, means to rotate said screen, said funnels spaced apartI to form annular chambers therebetween, means to feed a liquid into said screen, means to carry the ltered liquid from said screen, a brush to sweep the-inner surface of said screen,`means to feed a, filtering material into a chamber, means to chemically treat the liquid by introducing chlorine into said liquid while' ltering through said screen, a housing to,

inclose said spout and a gate in said housing to discharge said filtering material.

15. In an apparatus for clarifying a liquid, a screen composed of two or more funnels having one or more annular chambers therebetween and having a spout at the apex of said screen, means to rotate said screen, means to feed a liquid into said screen, means to carry the ltered liquid from said screen, a brush to sweep the inner JOHN SCHAAF. 

